In this article, I’ll be talking about Newcastle United’s ideal midfield and why it will work so well:

Shelvey is never out the headlines with his antics on the field. However, if you look past that he is a brilliant player. He is a fantastic passer of the ball which is crucial to breaking down deep blocks or desperately getting the ball into the box. Unlocking deep defences is something a lot of teams struggle with and a player like Shelvey can make the difference between one point and three. The Englishman is the attacking outlet of the midfield.

Next to him, I’d like to see Isaac Hayden. He can provide defensive stability and give protection to his midfield partners. One of his most important features is that he’s an engine that never stops running and can put in a strong slide tackle. If the defence is overloaded, he can drop back to form a back five which can also make the difference. Every team needs a player that can run around none stop and always win the ball back.

Finally, we have the golden boy Mikel Merino. The Spaniard was a brilliant piece of business as he has a future fee of only £6 million. He has loads of potential and already a lot of ability. What Merino can do is act as a hybrid between Hayden and Shelvey. Like Hayden he is solid defensively and like Shelvey he is a really good passer. We saw this against West Ham when he was constantly pressing and then split the defence open for the first goal.

Now I think this midfield 3 needs to happen. There has been a few problems with Ayoze and Diame already and switching up the midfield would be a breath of fresh air. It has every key component. Someone that can win the ball, someone that can unlock defences, and an all-rounder.